WEBVTT TO LAUNCH A RELIEF MISSION TOTHE FLORIDA KEYS.>> THIS IS THE MAIN LANDINGGEAR.WE HAVE 12 FAIRLY ROBUST TIRESrtAND WHEELS.MIKE: MAJOR BRYON SHIELDS ISTALKING ABOUT THE C-17 AIRPLANEHE FLEW TO FLORIDA.CARRYING 42,000 POUNDS OF CARGOAND 40 PERSONNEL FROM TRAVIS AIRrtFORCE BASE.THE DAY AFTER HURRICANE IRMAPUMMELED MARATHON KEY.>> WE DID HAVE TO GO PRETTY FARAROUND THE STORMS, SO WE TOOKEXTRA FUrtEL AND WE TOOK A FEWEXTRA HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME TOAVOID THE STORMS. MIKE: UPON ARRIVING ON THEHURRICANE RAVAGED ISLAND, TRAVISPERSONNEL TOOK OVER THErtDECIMATED AIRPORT HANGER TOSTART DISTRIBUTING RELIEFSUPPLIES.>> WE WORKED TEN DIFFERENTPOINTS FOR FOOD DISBURSEMENT ANDWATErtR DISBURSEMENT BOTH FOR THEHILO AREA AND TRUCK AREAS.MIKE: THE CREWS FOUND PEOPLEDESPERATE FOR HELP.>>rt I'VE BEEN IN THE MLITARY AREALLY LONG TIME.IT'S JUST NICE TO HELP PEOPLE INNEEDMIKE: TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE SENTTWO OF ITS C-17'S TO FLORIDA ONTHE SAME DAY THAT MANY IN rtTHEMILITARY WERE REMEMBERING THE16TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11.>> IT FEELS GOOD TO HELP.rtAND WE KNOW MORE HURRICANES ARECOMING SO WE ARE ALWAYS ONALERT, ALWAYS READY TO HELP.MIKE: AND THAT HELP FROM TRAVISAIR FORCE BASE MADE A BIGCONTRIBUTION TO THOUSANDS OF

More than five dozen personnel from Travis Air Force Base are back in Fairfield Tuesday, following a recovery mission for Hurricane Irma victims in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The 64 crew members provided emergency relief in some of the storm’s hardest hit areas.

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Lt. Colonel Tanya Yelverton was deployed with medical teams to the island of St. Croix.

“I think the most critical needs were patients who came from St. Thomas,” Yelverton said. She said the hurricane victims “were being staged there at the American Airlines terminal. We needed to set up a staging facility there, at the airport.”

The patients had been evacuated from a hospital destroyed in the hurricane. Travis personnel were able to stabilize them and then send 10 of those needing additional medical care to Puerto Rico for treatment.

Two powerful C-17 airplanes carrying 42,000 pounds of cargo also helped hurricane victims in Florida. One plane was piloted by Major Bryon Shields, who landed on a short airstrip on Marathon Key.

Mike Luery/ KCRA 3

”We did have to go pretty far around the storms,” Shields said. “So, we took extra fuel and we took a few extra hours of flight time to avoid the storms.”

Upon arriving on the hurricane ravaged island, Travis AFB personnel took over the decimated airport hangar to start distributing relief supplies.

“We worked 10 different points for food disbursement and water disbursement -- both for the help areas and the truck areas,” Tech Sgt. Christina Anders explained.

"It was a very humbling experience to see our fellow Americans there with a need that we could meet," Lt. Colonel Blaine Baker said. "And for us, it was probably the most fulfilling and humbling mission that we've had a chance to be part of.”

The rescue mission coincided with the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America.

“It was poignant too going out on 9/11, so once again going out to help Americans in need," U.S. Air Force Chief Ron Garbarini said. "We all felt heavily about that during the course of the day.”

The six-day mission helped save lives, provided hope and immediate help for thousands of people in the path of the storm.

“I've been in the military a really long time,” Garbarini said. “It's just nice to help people in need.”

“It feels good to help," Shields said. "We know more hurricanes are coming so we are always on alert, always ready to help.”